


sweetness

by respectedface



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming of Age, Debate Team, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26083870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respectedface/pseuds/respectedface
Summary: Toph Beifong is a member of her high school's debate team, but when she finds herself going against Katara in a practice match, her world is turned upside down. Fast.
Relationships: Toph Beifong & Zuko, Toph Beifong/Katara
Comments: 15
Kudos: 76





	sweetness

**Author's Note:**

> I have decided to vicariously relive my debate team days through writing before I leave high school forever. Growing up is SAD. 
> 
> Assume everyone is (roughly) the same age in this. With that said, enjoy reading!

At her worst, Toph Beifong was anything but calm.

In fact, many formed the initial impression of her being quite hostile. She birthed many black eyes on rich, private school bullies during her elementary years, after all. Anyone who watched even one of those fights could attest that, no matter how many opponents she had, Toph always found a way to outsmart and outmaneuver them. “ _Beware the Blind Bandit… she’s a freak,”_ the students said endlessly. Her parents were handed incident report upon incident report, almost on a weekly basis. While her grades were good (on the subjects that interested her), Toph drew the ire of countless teachers.

But she never initiated the fights.

Incident reports are just typewritten words on paper: apathetic, disinterested, and destined to become a statistic on some sort-of nationwide survey. Incident reports don’t mention how often kids tripped Toph over, or how the class stole her belongings on a regular basis. They don’t mention Toph being the punchline to cruel jokes, how many times she sat in a bathroom stall during recess, or how her parents treated her like a shiny object rather than a daughter. They don’t even mention how Toph protected the boy who had a severe, permanent burn on his face, fighting back bullies who had far more bark than bite...

* * *

Zuko blinked at the moving cityscape before him: the constant hum of the van snapping him back to reality. He usually never felt nervous, but today was a different story. The van’s air-conditioning was nothing short of a frozen landscape even with the thick jacket he was wearing. That, combined with the impending match, made Zuko’s nerves decidedly get the better of him.

He took a deep breath, “Of all the days.”

Turning his head to the seat beside him, Zuko caught the not-so-rare sight of a napping Toph, leaning on the side of his arm. Her snores were loud, piercing, and strangely calming for the teenage boy. Maybe it's because he was so used to the sound.

Zuko smirked and mildly patted Toph’s head with his free hand. She groaned, “Quit it, Zuko.”

“Mind if I make it a little less cold?”

“If it helps you stop shivering like it’s the North Pole, be my guest.”

Zuko’s smile quickly transformed into a frown. He set the temperature to a higher degree while Toph stretched her arms and scratched her neck, her nap successfully completed.

“You _really_ shouldn’t have crammed that Biology paper,” Zuko said, leaning back on his seat.

“Screw you,” Toph huffed, “it’s hard to analyze recorded lectures.”

Toph touched the seat in front of her, dragging her hands down until she felt her water bottle in the cup holder. She swiftly grabbed it and took a sip, “What are you so nervous about anyway? It’s _just_ a practice debate.”

Haru, their other teammate, chimed in from the seat behind them, “Omashu High are considered our rivals, though.”

Zuko nodded, “Exactly. It’s very likely we’ll face them in the _actual_ tournament as well.”

Toph yawned and crossed her arms. She was never truly one of the competitive or overachiever types. The only extracurricular activities and academic subjects Toph put any effort in were the ones she had fun with, like geoscience and debate, and even then she never aimed for a top ranking. _Neoliberal education is a sham, anyways,_ she thought.

“We’ll be at Omashu High in five minutes,” Iroh reported from the passenger seat. He turned his head towards his nephew, “don’t be so scared, Zuko, use this opportunity to scout the competition and improve accordingly.”

Toph put on a sarcastic tone, “Yeah dude, listen to Sir Iroh for once. Such an irresponsible student!”

Zuko squinted his eyes in response. Haru laughed, “Maybe you’ll find someone who _actually_ likes you there, Toph.”

“Shut it.”

* * *

Toph liked debate well enough. It wasn’t her _favorite_ thing to do in the world, but she enjoyed it. Her joining the club, even after the constant pleading of Zuko, was a surprise to many people. Anyone who had a passing familiarity with Toph would admit she was the least-logical person this side of the continent. Besides, the teenager had a burning hatred for strict rules and austere formats, choosing to, _“not be reminded of my parents any more than necessary, thank you very much.”_

And yet, a small part of her brain just _clicked_ during debate.

Although her amusement mostly came from her rebutting other people, there were moments where Toph derived more than just a surface-level pleasure. She had a hard time explaining it, actually. Whether it was the pure satisfaction of seeing her team perform a graceful dance of matter, manner, and method, or the sheer dopamine rush of dominating their opponent.

Toph lived for that.

And for free food, of course.

“Pleash tell me haw Omashu hash waaaaay bedder cooking than ush,” Toph said, her mouth full of meat.

Zuko wrinkled his nose. He knew better than to question Toph’s excessive eating. He always thought it was a complete wonder how she didn’t grow any taller.

Deciding for a change of scenery, Zuko darted his pupils to another direction, spotting three people approaching their table in the cafeteria. He rubbed his chin, “Why don’t you ask them yourself?”

One of the three, a boy who was about the same height as Toph, reached the table first. He happily waved his hand towards Zuko’s direction, “Hi! Are you guys from Ba Sing Se High?”

“Uh, yeah,” Zuko replied. _This guy is chipper. Too chipper._

“Aang, Katara, Suki,” the boy said, first placing his hand on his chest and one-by-one pointing to the other members of his group, “we’ll be facing each other later.”

Aang gave a toothy grin. _Okay, he’s either confident or stupid_ , Zuko pondered, _probably both._

In Katara’s mind, Zuko appeared as a shy, introspective person; to put it another way, the perfect victim for Aang’s cheerful nature. Her attention drifted to the person who sat beside him, seemingly unbothered in eating her lunch.

She bent over, hovering just above the girl’s shoulder, and turned her head to face her, “Hey, I’m Katara.”

On instinct, Toph jerked her head towards the direction of the voice, closing the distance between their two faces. Their lips practically grazed each other in the process. Katara blushed furiously, and, with the full gravity of the situation hitting her, immediately retracted to her previous position.

“W-what do you think you’re—"

Only then did Katara notice the girl’s _eyes_ , and the whole world seemed to stop for just a moment. They were milky and cloudy, and looked absolutely beautiful, even under the terrible lighting of the cafeteria. The girl’s stare was shrewd and committed, as if holding an ocean’s worth of pride.

“Oh. Uh, sorry about that,” Katara blurted out, gazing away.

Toph continued to chew on her food, deeply swallowing moments after. She grinned, put her utensils down, and placed her feet on the table before her, “Another one of those apologetic types, eh?”

Katara raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

“Disappointing. I was expecting an _actual_ challenge today.”

Katara scoffed, full hands-on-hips mode activated, “Some nerve you got, saying that and eating our food.”

Toph shrugged, “I’m not the one in charge of the schedule.”

“Well maybe you should be, because the food is absolutely doing _wonders_ for your breath.”

“Shut it,” Toph growled.

“Woah, hey,” Suki laughed nervously, placing herself in-between the two, “let’s, uh, save the rebuttals for later, okay?”

The pair managed to calm down once a few seconds passed. Somehow. Toph promptly went back to devouring her meal (with added ferocity). Meanwhile, Suki gently rubbed Katara’s shoulder, who, by all accounts, was still raring for another shouting match.

“You guys are really getting into the spirit of things, huh? This is going to be great!” Aang exclaimed. 

Zuko sighed. _Maybe just stupid._

* * *

The debate commenced not long after. Not long after Zuko’s trip to the toilet, at least. Ever since lunch ended, he had been checking the time on his phone downright excessively, which, as one can imagine, contributed to how tense he felt. 

“Hurry it up in there!” Toph yelled outside the men’s room, her patience running out.

“Alright, alright,” Zuko said in a faint voice. He came out of the bathroom with his hair remarkably disheveled.

As they walked towards the chosen debate chambers, Zuko noticed that Toph was… _different_. The Toph he knew would be dozing off in the corner by now, or zoning-out in the middle of prep time, or about a dozen other things. But this Toph neither slouched, nor had her hands behind her neck; she walked stiffly, as if rooted on the floor, determined in her stance and posture with every step she took.

“You’re awfully serious.”

“That a problem?”

“No,” Zuko answered quickly, “I’m just not… used to it.”

Toph stopped in her tracks. She paused and grabbed Zuko’s arm, “Lead me to the room already. I’m itching to crush Ms. Sugar Queen.”

Zuko smiled. He wasn’t so nervous anymore after that.

The debate chamber itself was simply an unused classroom on the second floor. It was split into two halves. The lower half featured a few seats for the audience, with the adjudicators’ table in front of it. The upper half contained the actual debate set-up: two tables on the left and right side of the room directly facing one another, split in the middle by a podium.

It was mostly empty save for the three adjudicators and hardly any audience members. Iroh sat next to Bumi, the debate team adviser for Omashu High.

Toph waited patiently on the right-side table once preparation time was over, a smug look clearly erupting from her face. She absolutely _loved_ being the Opposition. It wasn’t surprising, but Toph found it easier to argue against the motion instead of supporting it. And if her hunch was right today, Ba Sing Se High would win in a landslide.

Katara spotted Toph smiling from her seat in the opposite table. She peered, examining the curvature of Toph’s lips and the way her hands moved, trying to discern its meaning. But it was to no avail.

Katara shook her head in frustration and sighed. _I need to review my arguments_ , she thought.

Toph, casually picking her nose, suddenly spoke, “Hey Sugar Queen,”

The room was engulfed in silence. Katara groaned and looked up from her yellow-pad paper, “I suppose you mean me?”

“Now’s not the time,” Zuko muttered, placing a hand on Toph’s shoulder.

“I’m just gonna ask a question!” Toph said, removing Zuko’s hand, “tell me, Sweetness, what’s your role?”

Katara slapped her pen on the table, “Okay. First off, my name is Katara. But you knew that already. And also, I’m the second speaker. Does that answer your question?”

Toph laughed, “Figures. You guys always talk waaaay too much. Big know-it-all’s too.”

Katara was fucking livid.

“C’mon, just ignore her,” Suki whispered to Katara, “she just wants to get under your skin.”

Oh, Katara _knew_ that. She knew it very, very well. But she just had to say something. There was this... aspect to Toph’s face that had the magic of bringing out the most illogical of musings within Katara’s mind.

“Figures you’re the last speaker,” Katara hissed as she stood up, “you can’t think of anything smart to say for the life of you.”

Toph slammed her fist on the table and stood up as well, “What was that—"

“Katara! Toph! Enough,” Iroh interjected, his stern voice surprising everyone, “show some respect for you opponent. Petty insults have no place in a formal debate.”

Flushing red in embarrassment, the pair returned to their seats. Katara hid her face in her notes while Toph leaned back irritated, arms crossed.

One of the adjudicators made her way to the podium. She adjusted her glasses and cleared her voice before speaking, “To my right is the Government, and to my left is the Opposition. For today’s debate, we will be following Asian Parliamentary procedure. The motion is: this house believes that a child should be allowed to file a lawsuit against their parents in cases of abuse.”

After repeating the motion, the adjudicator walked back to her table and sat down. She waved her hand towards the podium, “May we call on the Prime Minister of the government side to start this debate.”

Toph believed that Aang was one hell of a Prime Minister. Not only did he have the skill and knowledge to shape the context of the debate, but he also could frame his speech with empathy and character.

“Members of the jury, there have been endless cases of child abuse. From the upper echelons of religious institutions to the very homes that we inhabit,” Aang said, gesturing with his hands, “the Government’s principle is a _basic_ one—which is the right of the child to protection from violence, abuse, or neglect, and the right to be raised by their parents.”

Toph grinned. _Knew it_. The girl tugged at the sleeves of Zuko’s uniform. He nodded.

As soon as one of the adjudicators clapped their hands, a sign of the one-minute mark, Zuko raised his arm, “Point.”

Aang’s eyes widened, surprised at a point of information so early. He gulped, “Uh, yes?”

“In the Government’s proposal, what exactly will be the status of the child once they file this lawsuit? Since they can’t stay with their parent after the supposed abuse,” Zuko said.

“Oh. They will be taken care of by social services, of course. Until they can be properly trusted to another guardian.”

Upon hearing the response, Zuko wrote something down on his yellow pad, like clockwork. It caught Katara’s attention, to say the least. _What was the point of that?_ She nibbled on her finger. _Clarification? A rebuttal for later? Or..._

“Crap.” 

Suki turned her head towards her teammate, “What’s wrong?”

“They’re trying to throw off our model; make it about feasibility instead,” Katara clicked her pen, “it’s fine. We’ll just fight them on it.”

Haru took the stand next as Leader of the Opposition. His first words came like a thousand piercing arrows aimed at Omashu, “Audience members and esteemed adjudicators, it has become abundantly clear to the Opposition that the Government is all show, with no plausibility; despite their bold claims of implementing so-called change, it is doubtful at best.

Therefore, it is in our interest to actually ground this debate realistically, for we believe that policies like these should be discussed with their _feasibility_ first and foremost.”

Toph could barely hold her cackle. The move was risky, sure, but it paid off in the end. They basically banked their whole approach on the Government focusing more on the principle side of things, which, no matter how they sliced it, would always put their side at a disadvantage.

So, Toph came up with the idea to nitpick, and nitpick some more. She knew that Omashu High’s argumentation would be clear and reasonable, so she’ll rely on finding holes in their proposal instead.

Haru spoke calmly for the rest of his time, a trademark of his speaking style, while also finding opportune moments to dash hints of emotion and sincerity. He was a perfect fit for first speaker: someone who could clearly get the crowd to rally behind their side.

“And with all that, I rest my case,” Haru said, drawing scattered claps from the spectators.

“May we now call on the Deputy Prime Minister.”

Katara took a deep breath before walking to the podium. Knowing what was coming, Toph leaned forward, using her right hand to support her head.

The first minute of Katara’s speech went by smoothly. She had the gift of transforming logic and facts into understandable arguments for the audience to digest. Her words flowed beautifully, with little to no pauses or stutters in between.

Toph felt something creep up in her stomach, in between the very breaths of Katara’s speech. She didn’t know _why_ or _how_ , but Katara’s voice deeply impacted her, in a way she didn’t understand. It was as if each word was being sown like elegant tapestry into Toph’s brain.

She absolutely hated it.

Toph raised her hand, “Point.”

“Declined,” Katara said nonchalantly, “as I was saying...”

Toph clenched her jaw and almost shouted, “Point!”

“Declined.”

“Point!”

“I will answer your POI later.”

“Scared, Sugar Queen?” Toph smirked.

Katara groaned. _Might as well get it over with now_. She looked at Toph, “Fine. What’s your question?”

“Since we’re all bringing semantics into this, how will the child file the lawsuit?”

“As we’ve mentioned before, although I’m sure the Opposition hasn’t been listening, the child will enlist the help of a proxy adult,” Katara faced the listeners, “this counters the Opposition’s claims of our proposal not being feasible, rendering their whole argumentation moot. Moving on—"

“Point.”

Katara’s gaze hitched towards a smiling Toph, hand in the air once more. Her skin tingled, “Yes?”

“Doesn’t that, by nature, go against the whole policy you’re proposing, since the child themselves don’t file the lawsuit?”

Katara’s mouth tightened. _Dammit_.

“No! Because—um. Uh,” Katara hesitated.

She walked right into their trap, again. She hated being cornered in debate. Absolutely loathed it. It made her feel uneasy, anxious, and most of all, uncertain. She simply wasn’t _used_ to having her wits undermined.

She was too complacent. She underestimated Ba Sing Se and... _her_ : the girl who spoke with masses worth of confidence. Katara would give up most things to hold even a shred of that.

All these thoughts and worries raced through Katara’s mind in an instant. One burning question remained in her head, _was she going to let it end here?_ She bit her lip.

No. No she wasn’t.

The Deputy Prime Minister closed her eyes, opened them, and spoke with a swift of energy, “Members of the jury, it has become increasingly apparent that the Opposition is awfully reactionary in the way they present their proposal. Let me answer your point with another: what’s your suggestion?

Because, so far, I am trying _especially_ hard to see what exactly is the Opposition’s counter-proposal. They have been so caught-up in poking holes in our arguments to the point where they have lost sight of the fundamental aspect of this debate: an actual plan of action. If the child needs an adult proxy, then so be it. Because it is better than what the Opposition is proposing—which is nothing.”

“Crap,” Toph grit her teeth, “that’s an argument from ignorance, c’mon!”

“She _is_ right,” Zuko commented, “our proposal hasn’t been particularly clear. Even if we point it out, it won’t amount to much.”

Toph could only afford to scoff.

“On the other hand, we are concerned with the _actual_ stakeholders: the abused children, which the Opposition seems to have casually forgotten,” Katara continued as she eyed Toph, “in short, they are like a rock; blocking the natural flow of progress and actual, worthwhile change.”

“Oh, screw you,” Toph muttered under her breath. Her ear twitched to the faint sound of Zuko chuckling beside her.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. She called you a rock.”

“Screw you too.”

* * *

The debate continued with an almost endless exchange of sarcasm, rebuttals, and arguments until the very end. Neither team backed down even the slightest, and the victory could have easily been handed over to either side. The extended time taken for the adjudication proved that.

Zuko took a sip from his water bottle, “Who do you think’s gonna win?”

Toph, who was reclining on her seat, shrugged her shoulders, “Beats me.”

“Not confident are we?” Haru interposed.

“No, dumbass. It’s just that the adjudicators are _obviously_ biased.”

“Admit it, you actually found a worthy opponent.”

Toph’s snarky one-liner response was cut short by Aang approaching their table, a cheery bearing plastered on his face, “Great debate guys!”

“Yeah. I actually had fun at one of these things for once,” Zuko smiled.

“Aang, I adored the way you framed your side’s context,” Haru said, “would you mind sharing your technique?”

“Sure! Lemme just get my notes.”

Aang scurried off and came back with his journal, containing the many lectures (and ramblings) of Sir Bumi. Eventually, all members of the Omashu debate team walked over to the table, ready to chat. Toph heard the footstep of one extra person.

“Who’s the new one?” Toph asked.

“Oh. I guess you mean Sokka. He’s my boyfriend and Katara’s brother,” Suki replied, pointing to the boy who had his left arm over her shoulder.

“Yo,” Sokka made a peace sign with his right hand, “I’m the loud guy who was cheering during Suki’s turn.”

“Yet was completely quiet during my speech,” Katara rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I was in the bathroom for like, half of it.”

“And the other half?”

“On my phone,” Sokka said droopily, making the group erupt into laughter, “all of you did great, though. I’m not gonna say who won cuz I am clearly partial.”

Sokka planted a kiss on Suki’s cheek, making her softly giggle. Toph, able to recognize that clear-cut sound from anywhere, naturally scrunched her face, “Ew.”

“You’re just jealous of your rivals having better game than you.”

Toph clapped her hands, “And the award for most pathetic comeback goes to Sokka!”

Haru snorted, “Ouch.”

“Please excuse Toph. Her sarcasm actually means she likes you.” Zuko clarified.

“Shut up.”

“I, for one, love the fact that we’re considered rivals. It adds so much _mystique_ ,” Suki said excitedly, blocking another kiss from her boyfriend, “kinda like Karasuno and Nekoma.”

Aang chuckled, “Toph and Katara were really getting into it, huh?”

The group fell silent. Aang’s chuckle died down, bit by bit, as he noticed Katara brushing a strand of her hair back and Toph looking annoyed as they come.

He frowned, “I, uh, have been reading the room wrong, haven’t I?”

“What gave it away?” Katara said in monotone.

Still in his audience seat, Bumi laughed hysterically, “All of them are pretty good, eh? They have great potential.”

“Indeed,” Iroh nodded, “they need to work on their rebuttals and POIs but that’s to be expected.”

Bumi’s half-open eye twitched, “The motion must’ve been tough for your nephew, I’m sure.”

“And for Toph as well, actually. I’m sure, given the choice, they would choose the other side in a heartbeat. However, you are not given a choice in debate. It is up to you to make do with the side you have, even if it conflicts with you internally.”

The same adjudicator from the beginning of the match walked to the podium, cueing the Omashu team to run back to their original seats. She laid her eyes on both teams before speaking, “It was a very close, active, and lively fight. But we ultimately have to give it to one winner. If I’m honest, both of the teams won the debate, as there is a meager one-point difference in their scores.”

One could nearly hear the quickening of everyone’s breath as the adjudicator delayed her speech. She resumed, “With that said, the adjudication recognizes the victory of the Government or Omashu High!”

The whole room burst into claps and cheers for the victors. Suki and Aang high-fived each other as Katara buried her face into her yellow pad, happy that she won and relieved that it was over (mostly relieved).

Toph clenched her fist. She despised losing, especially when she knows she deserved the loss.

“Now, we would like to explain the basis of our decision—"

Toph stood up and cried out, “No!”

The adjudicator raised her eyebrows, “Erm, excuse me?”

“We already know why we lost,” Toph pointed her finger towards the opposite table, “instead of sulking on it, let’s have another match! Again!”

 _She’s crazy_ , Katara thought, _absolutely crazy_. But there was something about that face, and that smile, and those _eyes_. It made Katara’s heart pump with sheer excitement.

She stood up and smirked, “You’re on!”

* * *

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Ba Sing Se High’s van broke… again. Toph wasn’t that surprised. Ultimately, they were a public school and the budget was relatively tight. She just dreaded that she would have to explain to her parents the reason for her lateness. Toph could already picture it: an endless barrage of passive-aggressive questions for an hour, nothing being learned or accomplished whatsoever.

 _Yay_.

“I’ll, uh, try to get a hold of the principal,” Iroh said as he brought out a flip phone and walked away.

Toph scowled, “This sucks.”

“Relax. They’re probably gonna send a bus or something,” Zuko said. 

“You can’t honestly believe that. At 6 PM?” Toph started to whisper, “and with that fossil of a flip phone your uncle has?”

“How’d you know it’s a flip phone?!”

“It’s a meme on campus.”

Zuko covered his face, “Oh kill me.”

The team waited for a solid five minutes before Iroh came back, Bumi following closely after. He beamed, “Good news! Omashu has agreed to drop us off at the school.”

“What?!” Toph cried.

“Omashu has agreed to drop us off.”

“No.”

“Yes!” Bumi shouted, “we’ll be driving our students to their homes, anyway. It’s just another stop.”

Toph sighed. She removed her headband and tied her hair into a ponytail, readying for battle. _It’s just a quick ride._

“You know what? Fine. Worse things can happen.”

Of course, that was said well before she found herself sitting next to Katara. 

It wasn’t exactly her first choice, that much was clear. Zuko, Haru, and Aang were in a three-seater near the front of the van, choosing to discuss debate tactics, food, and anime, while Sokka and Suki occupied the back… and Toph wasn’t too keen to find out whatever they were doing. Which left her and Katara in the middle region.

Katara could feel the mere inches that separated their two bodies. She put up a seemingly uncaring posture: cross-legged and staring out the right-side window, head supported by a single hand. Katara side-eyed Toph, whose stare was locked straight-ahead, occasionally yawning and shifting her feet.

She darted her gaze again. _What was it that made the atmosphere so palpable every single time they were close to each other?_

The young girl collected her thoughts and, upon seeing everyone else having such a high-spirited time in the van, finally decided to break the silence.

“Why here?”

Toph blinked, “Hm?”

“There’s a lot of empty seats aside from this one. You know, beside me?”

“Oh,” Toph played with her fingers and spoke in a lowered tone, “uh… I don’t feel comfortable in new vehicles, or new places in general, actually. I kinda need someone familiar beside me.”

Katara brushed her hair back, shocked by the display of vulnerability, “Sorry.”

“Hey, no, it’s fine. I wasn’t too hot on this whole quick ride-idea-thing to begin with so…”

Katara examined this seemingly different Toph sitting beside her. It was a far cry from the brash and cocky persona in the cafeteria, or the witty and sarcastic demeanor she presented during debate. This Toph was intensely sensitive and… those _eyes_. They held a different beauty than before, though she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

It also helped that she looked _damn_ _good_ in that ponytail, too. 

“Does the van break down often?” Katara asked, deciding to change the subject.

Toph nodded, “As certain as the sun rising.”

“You know; I think our school exchanges consistent vehicle capability for scattered power outages throughout the year.”

Toph snickered, “Sick. I would trade for that in a heartbeat”

“Ah. And you’d be unaffected, wouldn’t you?” Katara spoke under breath, “naughty girl.”

Toph stopped breathing right then and there. She quickly cleared her throat, “Shit.” 

“You okay?”

“Yes! Of course! I, uh, just sold my soul to better the public school funding system, that’s all.”

Katara giggled, “Wow. A true hero.”

Toph folded her arms, “You ought to be thanking me about now.”

“Good point,” Katara said as she brought out a lunchbox from her bag, “now help me finish the cookies I forgot to hand out today.”

“How motherly of you.”

“I try to stay on-brand.”

Sokka, his nose catching that _glorious_ smell, popped his head out from a few seats behind them, “COOKIES! ME NEED NOW!”

Toph curtly spoke, “Need a break from your make-out sesh in the back?”

“Damn,” Sokka said, already munching on a piece, “are you alwaysh looking fer a fight?”

“Me and Haru theorize that it’s a natural instinct, actually,” Zuko said, also grabbing a piece.

Katara chuckled lightly as she stared at an obviously annoyed Toph. She tilted her head and placed a cookie near Toph’s mouth, “Eat.”

“Woah there, Sugar Queen. At least take me out on a date first.”

Katara was thankful Toph couldn’t see how red she was. The young girl pressed her lips together, “Just shut up and chew.”

Toph nibbled lightly. And then took a bigger bite. And then another. Until she snatched the cookie from Katara’s hand altogether and devoured it in less than a minute.

“So?”

“It’s alright,” Toph hid her enthusiasm, “It _is_ my reward for winning the debate, anyway.”

“Um, I seem to recall crushing your side four out of six times.”

“Luck. All of it.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm.”

“Alright then,” Katara paused before continuing to speak, “if you think about it, you re-challenging us constantly is the exact reason we stayed so late in the campus, and, thus, caused this whole emergency-ride-thing to happen.”

“What?!” Toph gasped sarcastically, “Katara, could you possibly be saying that my pride is my downfall?”

“A real Greek tragedy if I ever saw one.”

“Oh! The horror!”

“It must also be the reason as to why you lost so many times.”

“Good Lorde. What is this, let’s insult Toph happy hour?” the teenager groaned, “Fine. Your cookies are AMAZING; is that what you wanted to hear?”

“I’ll take it.”

The pair continued to discuss debate, albeit in a way that always led to them ‘healthily’ criticizing the way the other spoke. Traffic on the road was slow, and the van inevitably settled into a quiet lull as the minutes passed by. It drove onto darkened road after darkened road, damply lit by the neon-hues of restaurant logos and KTV bars.

Toph took a deep breath. _This isn’t so bad_ , the young girl mused. She enjoyed talking to her—more than she would ever care to admit. In between Aang’s loud snores, Toph could make out a faint clanking sound coming from the seat beside her. She turned her head towards Katara. 

Katara smiled, “It’s just my earphones, don’t worry.”

“And you have the audacity to exclude _me_ in your little listening party?”

“You probably wouldn’t like it.”

“Lemme hear your music, c’mon.”

Katara looked at those eyes again. Those big, beautiful _eyes._ Really, how could she have said no?

She gently placed an earbud on Toph’s open hand as the latter adjusted her seating position. Toph’s head scrunched close to Katara’s shoulder, making their skin slightly graze each other. The _electricity_ in the atmosphere was enough to send a jolt down their individual spines. Toph moved the rest of her body as well, and the short distance that once separated the pair were now closed.

It was easy for that distinct 90s alt-rock sound to glue to their ears.

_There she goes_

_There she goes again_

_Racing through my brain_

_And I just can't contain_

_This feeling that remains_

“I see,” Toph whispered, “Sixpence None the Richer. How very… _you_.”

“You’ve only known me for a whole day, you know.”

Toph laid back on the seat, “Eh, I feel like that’s enough time to form an opinion on a person.”

Katara spoke in a royal-like manner, “And what opinion, in her infinite wisdom, has the great Toph formed of me?”

Toph put on a mischievous grin, “Hmmmm. You’re alright, I guess.”

“Could it be? The great Toph actually likes me?!”

“Shush, you,” Toph said, placing her head on Katara’s shoulder and closing her eyes, “now let me nap.”

Following suit, Katara leaned on her sleepy rival’s head, falling asleep with a pleasant smile on her face. The tingling warmth radiating from each other’s skin was the single thing they could feel. Because really, it was only them, those earphones, and the crooning of someone who just fell in love.

* * *

“You like her.”

Toph frowned at Zuko, “Do you plan on bringing this up constantly or are we going to _actually_ review Chemistry?”

“You do like her!”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, “No, Zuko. I do not like Katara. Now, we have about fifteen minutes before break ends, so I would really like to—"

“But you’ve been texting her.”

“Yes. But—"

Zuko titled his head, “And calling her.”

“Well—"

“And sharing playlists.”

Toph attempted to mouth a response, before closing it instantaneously.

“Just admit it!” 

The young girl sighed, “Okay. Let’s just say that I wouldn’t _exactly_ mind if our van isn’t fixed yet by the time the workshop rolls around. Is that enough?”

He beamed with pleasure, “Mhmm.”

“God, I bet you look horrid when you smile. Let’s review now, c’mon.”

“I’m not the one who’s pining.”

* * *

Toph wasn’t eager to participate in the debate workshop at first; what was the point of more and more mock battles? All she wanted to do was go straight to the tournament, crush the opponents, and brag about it forever.

At least, that was her goal originally.

Toph _knew_ she needed to improve. She _knew_ that she was caught off-guard in Omashu and she _knew_ that she cost her team the match. Toph hoped to find something, anything that could point her in the right direction. She racked her brain, _Wow, am I actually looking forward to this?_

And even if she wouldn’t admit it, the fact that they had to ride in the Omashu High van again was a big factor too.

Zuko assisted his uncle and Bumi in boarding through the passenger seat while Haru and Toph entered through the side. A familiar voice greeted the two newly-arrived students, “Heya! You all hyped or what?”

“What are _you_ doing here?” Toph asked, making her way to the same seat as last time (she did distinctly remember the layout, after all). She slumped down and removed her travel bag in one fell motion.

Toph smiled coyly at the person next to her, “Hey there, Fussy Britches. Miss me?”

“If you stop inventing stupid nicknames for me every minute, maybe I will,” Katara responded, “and to answer your other question: the school decided to send a proxy from the student council—"

Toph burst out laughing, “WAIT. Sokka?! Student council?”

Suki butted in, “He’s actually president.”

Toph howled in her seat. Sokka stood up behind her and stared, “And what’s so funny about that?”

“Nothing,” Toph snorted, “Mr. Horny President, Sir.” 

Toph went back to laughing loudly as Sokka sulked in defeat. From then on, the group picked up from where it left off without skipping a beat: Haru started talking technique with Aang and the girls busied themselves by judging each other’s music recommendations. Zuko boarded the van shortly thereafter, and Sokka regained his smile as he saw him.

“Zuko! Buddy! It’s been a while, huh?”

“It’s, uh, only been a week,” he scratched the back of his head.

Sokka put his arm around Zuko’s neck, “Did you miss me?”

“I- I guess?”

* * *

The two teams arrived at Sozin Academy just after the strike of noon. It was sweltering hot, and, due to an unforeseen parking error, they were forced to walk to their _actual_ destination: the exotic Sozin hotel. There, they would wait for their two advisers. This wouldn’t have been a problem if the academy was just any other school. But it wasn’t. Sozin Academy was a rich, private school that housed multiple buildings and was far too large for its own good. The sweat trickling down on their faces were doubled by the time they reached the hotel proper.

Toph felt like she had just navigated through the whole city. Hanging on Zuko’s arm, she was wholly ready to collapse. She panted furiously, “If I die here, please spread my last words: I don’t ever regret skipping P.E. and Headmaster Ozai is a complete capitalist douchebag. No offense.”

Zuko wiped the sweat off his forehead, “I’m offended that you’d think I’d be offended.”

Sokka placed his hand on a stone pillar, catching his breath. He trudged towards the entrance in a stiff-fashion and yelled at the top of his lungs, “I swear, if this hotel isn’t worth it I’m gonna—"

His mouth shut as soon as he entered the lobby. For a few seconds, Sokka stood motionless. He steadily raised his arms as a big, toothy grin erupted on his face.

Aang faced Zuko, “Are you _sure_ this isn’t a Christian school?”

“What? No!” Zuko rubbed his head, “he’s probably just taking in the air conditioner or something.”

Sure enough, Sokka snapped out of his euphoric daze and motioned for the others to enter, “Never mind. Totally worth it.”

At last, the group had a chance to relax in the hotel lobby, which resembled something ripped straight-out of a travel magazine for the luxurious and fabulous. Toph slowly walked in, letting Zuko lead her to a nearby couch where they could sit. She stretched her legs and let out a sigh of exhaustion.

Aang sat next to her without warning. _Okay, fine_ —

And then Haru flumped-down next to Zuko, forcing Toph to stop stretching. “Guys—"

Katara sat down afterwards (although she didn’t mind that so much) and was immediately followed by Sokka and Suki.

Toph grumbled, “So there’s this thing called space—"

“There’s no other seats left,” Katara interrupted, airing out her sweat.

“Then someone needs to stand! What are we, some sorta gang now?”

“Ooooh. Cool idea,” Aang brought out his cellphone, “I’m creating the group chat.”

“That’s not what I meant—"

“Dibs on the Boomerang nickname!” Sokka shouted from the far-end of the couch. 

Katara spoke, “Why would you call dibs? Literally no one else wants that nickname.”

“You never know.”

“More like Boomer Sokka,” Zuko said.

Suki snorted loudly, barely being able to contain her laughter. Sokka frowned, “Babe…”

“Sorry.”

Aang continued to type on his phone, “Give me a good group chat name.”

“How about: losers who will be utterly crushed by my hand in the tournament?”

A new, unfamiliar voice pierced the air. Zuko’s mouth stiffened as he shuffled in his seat. He collected his thoughts for a brief second before deciding to look up at the three looming figures in front of him.

The middle one spoke first and smirked, “Zuzu! I didn’t expect to see you here so soon.” Her eyes slid towards the little girl next to him as her smirk disappeared, “Toph.”

Toph, upon recognizing that unmistakable voice, grinned. “Azula,” she said in a mockingly-graceful manner.

Azula clicked her tongue.

Aang whispered, “Zuko knows these people?”

“Yes, short one! Zuko, in fact, does,” Azula placed her hand on her chest, “I am his sister. Number one student at the esteemed Sozin Academy, in case you didn’t know.”

The girl on the left of Azula, who was leaning and grabbing onto her arm, continued chewing and blowing on her bubble gum, “Ty Lee. Her girlfriend. I like bending.”

Katara raised an eyebrow, “Uh-huh.”

“Mai,” the other girl said in a hushed tone.

Sokka blinked, “So just… Mai?”

Mai glared, “You expecting more?”

Her narrow eyes penetrated the very fabric of Sokka’s soul. He gulped and shook his head wildly.

Zuko spoke, “What do you want, Azula?”

“Why? Must I have an excuse to want to see my dear, dear brother?” 

“Yes, actually.”

Azula scowled, “Well, if you must know, Ty Lee will be giving you all a tour of the academy later—along with the other visiting schools, of course.”

“That it?”

“You are far too serious, Zuko,” Azula fiendishly laughed, “father will be watching come tournament time, by the by. So you better not disappoint.”

Zuko’s muscles tightened. He felt like a hammer was pounding inside his skull, ready to crack open at any minute. Toph, sensing this, instinctively put a hand on his knee and squeezed it tightly. She was used to dealing with Zuko’s nervousness.

It took a few moments before he regained full composure.

Azula’s eyes widened in shock. She clearly she wanted to say something, but instead thought against it at the last minute. She walked away with Ty Lee, both waving goodbye. 

“Ta-ta, brother. And your little friends, too.”

Mai stared at Zuko, who stared back as well. Without speaking a single word, she turned her head away and followed her two friends out the exit.

Zuko reclined on the couch, “She still wants me.”

“Sorry, what?” Sokka said.

“Didn’t you feel it?” Zuko examined his hand, “the sexual tension?”

Toph’s lips curled, “Yuck.”

“You guys are weird, man.”

“Says the one who wanted Boomerang as a nickname.”

* * *

“You better not screw this up.”

Katara, erratically tapping her fingers on the table, looked hard at Toph. She smiled, “Relax, Sugar Queen. I got this.”

Katara grimaced. Of all the randomized teammates, it _had_ to be Toph.

She wasn’t complaining. Far from it. Toph was a great debater, and Katara enjoyed talking to and thinking about her. She was just worried, is all. And really, _who wouldn’t be?_ It was painfully obvious they were into each other—one just needed to view a string of their text messages to be positive.

There was no doubt in her mind that Toph made her happy, in ways far and wide. But that was the problem: she didn’t want to lose that. It’s a common phenomenon that torments the mind of many a person. And with the tournament just around the corner, Katara didn’t have the time or patience to deal with the teetering of her feelings.

Hell, she wasn’t sure what those feelings even were.

Yet here she was, teaming with the girl whose eyes had the capability of disrupting her whole thinking process. _Was some invisible string always pulling us together?_ _And was that a nice thought or a bad thought?_

The sole adjudicator spoke, “May we call on the Opposition Whip to close this debate.”

“Remember, just like we planned,” Katara murmured.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Toph, eager to start her turn, stood up and coolly strutted to the center of the room.

The small girl cleared her throat and barked at the Government side, “For starters, I’d like to go over the thirty-two completely STUPID things the other team said…”

Katara enjoyed seeing the opposing side sigh in defeat.

 _You are so easy to love, Toph Beifong_.

* * *

Toph didn’t like the thought of sleeping next to Katara.

But there _were_ only two beds, and Suki _did_ insist on her being the one to sleep alone (for whatever reason). Ergo, she would just have to deal with it.

Easier said than done. 

Toph’s heart pumped like a heavy-metal drum on steroids. She could feel everything—sheets ruffling, leisurely movements, Katara’s body a whisker away from hers…

 _Stop_ , _you need to sleep._

See, this was the problem. She couldn’t possibly get a single wink of shut-eye if her chest felt like exploding every second. And she valued her sleepy-weepy time very much, mind you.

“Toph?” Katara suddenly mumbled.

Toph silently cursed. She must’ve been unconsciously moving throughout her thinking.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Uh…” was all Toph could manage. She could sense that she wasn’t directly facing Katara, so at least she couldn’t see how panicked she looked.

“C’mere.”

Before the other could even protest, Katara wrapped her arms around Toph, embracing her body from behind. Their height difference was noticeable, to put it mildly; the back of Toph’s head was nested firmly on Katara’s chest, and the former could just about sense the latter’s steady heartbeat.

Toph flushed a deep red, “Hey!”

“You’re gonna wake-up Suki,” Katara said in a sleepy voice. She intertwined her legs with Toph’s, locking them together.

“Do you know how surprising that was?!”

“Shhhh. Go to sleep.”

“Tch,” Toph pouted. _Great._

It felt unnatural at first. The noisy sound of the air-conditioner, the smooth fabric of the bedsheets, and the sweet scent of Katara—they all gnawed at Toph’s senses _too_ much.

She closed her eyes. It didn’t do anything helpful for a while, but Toph kept at it. She took a deep breath and counted to ten.

Somehow, it all clicked together in a snap.

Distractions blended into each other, and once again, all that was left was her and Katara. The warmth from her arms became essential, as did the interlocking of their legs, and the rising of her chest, and the stability of her breathing, and about a dozen little other tiny things. 

And then the most extraordinary thing graced her mind. For the first time in her life, Toph felt _safe_.

She slept soundly to the tune of Katara’s soft snores.

* * *

The workshop ended unceremoniously. It was mostly filled to the brim with self-aggrandizing ‘experts’ who spouted useless information, as Toph expected. But what it lacked in the knowledge department, it made up for in experience. She had a good idea now of what to expect from the other teams, whatever that was worth, and she even shored-up some of her weak points.

 _God, did I just admit I had weak points?_ _I’ve officially changed waaaay too much._

The next week went by in a flash, and Toph succumbed to a _sort-of-but-she-wouldn’t-admit-it_ daily routine:

Go to school. Fall asleep in class. Have debate practice until evening. Bully Sokka in the group chat. Text Katara. Eat out with Haru and Zuko. Text Katara. Intentionally piss your parents off. Somehow study. Call Katara. Do some more studying. Call Katara again because you really need help with that one question in Chemistry and totally not because you just want to hear her voice explain science jargon to you. Get jealous of Aang’s godlike grades in the group chat. Fall asleep because being a student is tiring as shit. Rinse and repeat.

The next thing you know, you’re on the Omashu High bus again, bound towards Sozin Academy for the debate tournament, and listening to music with the girl who makes your heart flutter. 

Toph found it all familiar, but not really. There was an undeniable _tension_ in the air whenever her and Katara were close; not that it _wasn’t_ there before, it’s just that it was far stronger and more apparent. To be fair, that may have had something to do with the perpetual flirting and the… _cuddling_ incident. 

Toph’s stomach went wild at the mere thought of it.

 _It’s inevitable at this point_ , she mused. One of them had to make the first move, right? She half-expected her crush to fade away after a week or so, just like all the others. But Toph was intoxicated: drunk on everything that had to do with _her_.

She cracked her knuckles. _Just focus._

The championship tournament was held in Sozin’s massive gymnasium. There was a stage built specifically for the debate, that had two tables and a microphone podium, as well as a multitude of seats for the audience. People were coming in droves from every school that was participating. And of course, it was fully air-conditioned too.

Haru examined the crowd, “Holy shit, even Jet’s here.”

“What?!” Toph exclaimed, “he’s supposed to be working on our Philo project!”

“Don’t let it get to you,” Zuko said calmly.

Toph sniffed her nose, “ _Someone’s_ serene today.”

“We can’t afford a screw-up now.”

“Alright then, Mister second speaker,” Toph smirked, “we’re counting on you.”

Zuko nodded. _For sure._

Ba Sing Se High steamrolled their first few matches. They were completely in-sync; Haru set up the bait, Zuko attacked the other teams’ weaknesses, and Toph dealt the finishing blow. All in a manner that screamed finesse.

The three were in the semi-finals in no time, facing-off against Omashu High once more—as if a thread of fate was tying the two rival teams together. It was different this time, though, and Toph knew that. She was certain that Omashu would give it their all, and she could say the same for Ba Sing Se. In other words, it was make-or-break time.

A wave of silence swept through the crowd as the lead adjudicator marched towards the center stage. He lowered the microphone, “Whoever wins this match will go on to face the Sozin team in today’s finals. With that said, may I please welcome Omashu High, who will be acting as the Government side, and Ba Sing Se High, who will be acting as the Opposition.”

Toph crossed her arms as she sat down on her assigned chair. She was Opposition again. _Yeah, definitely some weird universe trick._

“The motion for this debate is: this house believes that the government is properly allocating the funds for the rehabilitation of the war-torn Republic City.”

The adjudicator repeated the motion and walked back to the judges’ table. “May we now call on the Prime Minister to start this debate.” 

The crowd applauded as Aang made his way to the podium. He gulped and exhaled deeply before speaking, “Esteemed guests and adjudicators…”

Aang spoke with an intensity not present when they were practicing; as if he was holding back up until this point. The first minute of his speech was marked with a blend of fervor and facts.

And then one of the adjudicators clasped their hands at the one-minute mark.

Toph, Zuko, and Haru raised their arms in an instant. “Point!” they all yelled in unison. Aang smiled in response.

Bumi suppressed his laughter, “This is going to be a fun one!”

The match raged on as a cascade of impassioned arguments and rebuttals overtook the gymnasium. The two teams veered-off from the motion significantly; but it was no matter, as everyone was enjoying themselves anyway, the debaters included.

“…and that is why our proposal is vastly better than the Opposition’s. We rest our case.”

Suki bowed her head and went back to her seat, drawing a significant amount of applause from the spectators. And how could they not? Omashu had laid-out an impeccably persuasive defense that focused on striking emotion rather than logic. Suki managed to summarize that, and more, in the seven minutes she spoke.

Toph quietly awaited her turn. Haru and Zuko had done their part—she needed to ace this for them to move to the final round.

“We call on the Opposition Whip as the last speaker for this debate.”

 _Keep it cool_.

The Whip started her speech strong: pointing out errors and rebutting arguments made by the other team. The tone with which she spoke increased in passion as she strung together more and more ideas and sentences.

It was Toph’s bread and butter; knocking the opposition down a peg before building up to a grand climax.

“Respectable members of the house, will you really allow such a worthless Government to push through with their proposal?!” Toph asked, gesturing with her arms, “A Government which has, by all definitions of the word, royally _screwed-up_!”

Iroh laughed heartily from his seat as the rest of the crowd gasped and mumbled. 

"A place where its people can live happily and freely. A city that has risen from the ashes of war and destruction! Now I want you to think about this: will this be achieved with the Government’s plan? A plan filled with so much rhetoric that even _I_ can see that it lacks substance.”

“Was that a blind joke?” Aang mumbled to Suki.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Toph continued, “Look, people. Would you want continuous incompetence chewing away at the very last lifeline of Republic City? Or would you rather nurture and care for it? Like a gorgeous spring of water.”

Katara wasn’t sure why she blushed when she finished that sentence.

“For me, the answer is _easy_. The Opposition rests its case.”

The audience clapped heartily, but Toph could only hear a faint ringing sound, buzzing about in her head.

She collapsed onto her chair, evidently worn-out.

“Nice,” Zuko remarked.

“Not my best. You think it’ll be enough?”

Zuko scrutinized Toph’s tired face and downcast eyes. She wasn’t confident, nor abrasive. She was just _unsure_. Painfully so.

He patted her head, “I really can’t say.”

And for once, she didn’t object to the patting.

The adjudicators took an extended time in their deliberation. It was undoubtedly a close fight, one that both Omashu and Ba Sing Se worked especially hard for. But just one could be crowned the victor.

Both teams felt a heavy knot form in their stomach as the lead adjudicator graced the stage once again. He waited for the audience to fall into silence before speaking.

He cleared his throat, “Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? All of us were very impressed with the debate. However, the adjudicators recognize the victory of—"

Toph and Katara inhaled sharply. _Please_.

“—Omashu High!” 

The whole crowd erupted into cheers while the winning team congratulated and hugged each other. Katara felt a weight was lifted off her chest, and she was sure that Aang and Suki felt it too.

“At least we got to the finals,” she muttered under her breath.

On the other table, Haru cupped his head with his hands, “History repeats itself.”

“Don’t be like that,” Zuko said, folding his arms. His gaze swiveled over to Toph, “You okay?”

She paused before answering, “Yeah. I think.”

Toph _hated_ losing. 

“Hey, Zuko.”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll win next year,” Toph declared, as if it was a fact. 

He smiled, “I’ll make sure of it.”

Omashu High didn’t win against Sozin Academy. Although it was hard-fought, the fiery combination of Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai was just _too_ deadly. Yet every clever rebuttal simply passed through Toph’s ear; she could only hear Katara’s speech, and Katara’s speech alone.

Her body was a harp which her rival played elegantly.

* * *

Iroh recognized the expression on Zuko’s face. It’s a face he had worn countless times beforehand, one that almost brought him back to being the scared, sad, and lost boy that he once was.

The old man greeted his nephew with a friendly smile, “It’s fine, Zuko. You did your best.”

“I-I know,” he quaked, “was… father watching?”

Iroh sighed, “He left just before your match.”

“I see.”

A moment of silence passed between the two as Iroh stared at his brother’s son. _How could such a kindhearted boy come from such a cruel person? It must’ve been Ursa’s doing_.

“Azula is throwing a party later, you know. She’s invited you and your friends.”

Zuko stretched his eyes, “ _Azula_?”

“Yes.”

“My _sister_?”

“That’s the one."

“She invited _me_ and _my friends_? To a _party_?”

“I believe so,” Iroh answered, blinking.

“Huh,” Zuko scratched the back of his head, “well, what about you? And the shop—"

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be _fine_ ,” Iroh shooed him away.

“But—"

The old man placed a finger on the teenager’s mouth, “Enough. I am perfectly capable of handling myself. Now go. Have fun.”

“Are you sure?”

“Go on: enjoy your youth while it’s still here! And make sure Toph gets home safe.”

“Okay. Thank you, uncle.”

Gradually, he observed a faint smile return to Zuko’s face. It was enough to make Iroh happy for a lifetime, and more. He laid a hand on his shoulder.

“No. Thank you, nephew.”

* * *

Katara didn’t like big parties all that much. Big parties with the Academy’s type of people at least.

Small, intimate get-togethers with her friends? _Hell yes_. Medium-sized gatherings with people from Omashu? _Sure_. Huge parties with a sizable number of folks? It wasn’t her cup of tea, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

But massive parties with rich kids? Katara felt very out of place.

She wasn’t being discriminatory or anything; her vibe was just a bit off from everyone else’s. Sokka and Suki were busy schmoozing in a faraway corner while Zuko introduced Haru to his former classmates. Katara didn’t want to bother any of them, not when they seemed to be having a good time. She did want to bother _one_ person, though.

She entered the pool area of Azula’s way-too-big ‘dormitory,’ where the deck was taken up by a circle of people whistling and yelling. Katara squeezed her body through the crowd and arrived near the epicenter of the ring. Aang and Ty Lee were… _dancing?_

“Aang!” Katara called as he busted-out a move. It took a while before he broke his concentration and finally noticed her.

He ran up to her, puffing and blowing, “Hey.”

“Uh, what’s going on?”

“Dance-off with Ty Lee,” Aang titled his head towards his opponent, who taunted him relentlessly.

“Wait, _you_ know how to dance?”

“Yeah.”

“You really are good at everything, huh?” she shook her head, “never mind that. Have you seen Toph around by any chance?”

Aang stroked his chin in contemplation. He then snapped his fingers, “Oh yeah! Suki said she helped her get up to the balcony.”

“Balcony, got it. Thanks.”

“No problem,” Aang said. He grinned and mouthed a _‘good luck’_ to Katara before returning to the dance-off.

She groaned, “Good luck to you too!” 

Katara jostled her way across party-goers and tipsy teenagers until she took her first steps in the balcony. Toph was nowhere in sight.

She sprawled her arms on the metallic raining. It was rough, and cold. The evening breeze had already kicked in as the sun shared its last moments for the day, shading everything with a purple-orange.

Katara rested her head on one hand, “Toph…”

“Up here.”

Katara took a step back, surveying the area for the source of the voice. A short ladder that led straight to the flat roof of the house caught her gaze. It occupied a covert area of the balcony wall, shrouded in darkness.

She began to climb it, “How’d you get up here?”

“My other senses are super-human.”

Katara furrowed her brows.

“I’m kidding,” Toph scratched her nose, “I asked Azula nicely.”

“Somehow her agreeing to your request makes less sense than you literally being Daredevil.”

Toph chuckled as Katara sat down beside her, their bodies the same distance apart from their rides together on the van. She looked at Toph’s fidgeting hands and heavy breaths. It was apparent that something was wrong.

Before she even thought of what to say, Toph already spoke: “It is _kinda_ enhanced though. We just learn to pay attention to our other senses more, since seeing is out of the picture.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s how I beat up all those bullies in grade school.”

Katara giggled, “I can only imagine.”

“They were all big and slow, anyway; easy to predict,” Toph shrugged.

A soft breeze passed through them, slightly ruffling Katara’s hair. She brushed it with her hand before speaking again, “Were you—um—bullied often?”

“Yeah,” Toph paused and laid down on her back, “stealing, tripping, teasing; the whole shebang. They even had a nickname for me. The _Blind Bandit_.”

Katara wrapped her arms around her knees and remained silent.

“My parents weren’t much help, either. They were just... _suffocating_ whenever I was around them. Until now, actually. They’re too busy protecting me instead of giving _actual_ support.”

Toph, noticing the other girl’s silence, returned to her seating position and gulped, “But the, uh, bullying’s pretty much stopped in high school, so don’t worry about it!”

“Is that why you’re here on the roof?” Katara ventured.

She bit her lip, “Um… big groups of people are sometimes—what’s the word—overwhelming, I guess.”

“I get that,” Katara nodded, “how about the debate? You still bummed about that?”

“ _Still?_ Okay first, I was _never_ bummed about that,” she said defensively.

“Whatever you say.”

Toph sneered, “Very funny. Second: you better prepare, sweetness, because Ba Sing Se is _winning_ next year.”

Katara laughed, “I look forward to it.”

“You better.”

The pair quietly sat together for a good while. The muffled sounds of the party beneath them were the sole things that invaded their ears. Katara’s eyes focused on the view from above; evening had already set, and the city lights were as bright as ever.

She thought about the world being unfair.

It was unfair how Toph was bullied for something she had no control over. It was unfair that stupid college tuitions were so damn expensive. It was unfair that Toph would still have a hard time finding a job in the future, no matter how smart or clever she was. It was unfair how people could die so easily. It was unfair how they were destined to become machine cogs in the system. All of it, was just _unfair_.

“You remember when I told you that my mother was dead?” Katara questioned.

Toph flinched, “Yeah.”

“I don’t want to lose anyone like that again,” Katara grasped Toph’s hand with hers, surprising the latter greatly, “You know; you’re always welcome in my place. Whenever your parents are too much to handle, or just life-bullshit is happening to you.”

“Uh. Thanks.”

Toph could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. _Her place? Her… place…_

The little girl yelped and withdrew her hand, an action which made Katara relentlessly giggle.

“It’s not funny!” Toph stammered.

“It is. You’re cute when you blush.”

“Ugh,” Toph curled into a ball, pressing the lower half of her face onto her knees, “can you stop that?”

“Stop what?”

“Flirting!”

Katara crossed her arms, “You do it too.”

“No I don—"

“Yes. Yes, you do,” Katara said firmly.

“Okay, fine. Maybe a _little_ bit.”

“What’s wrong with flirting anyway?”

Toph tried to find the right words. She spoke in a hushed voice, “It’s just…”

_Say it._

“Just what? Tell me,” Katara murmured.

_Say it._

“I—"

Katara placed a hand on Toph’s cheek, moving her head so that it was facing towards her. She then nudged a strand of hair backwards on Toph’s very red face using her other hand.

She looked at those _eyes._ Those perfectly cloudy _eyes_. At that point, Katara was convinced they were the most beautiful thing in the entire universe.

Slowly, she moved her face closer. And closer. Until they were close enough to be breathing the same air. Both of them pursed their lips and—

“YO! Katara! Toph! Ya’ll out here?”

The pair gasped and froze. That was undoubtedly Sokka’s voice.

“Crap,” they both said in concert.

“You better not be doing anything _dirty_ out here,” he teased, “I joke. I’m joking. It’s a joke. Don’t murder me.”

Katara and Toph scrambled back to their original positions and quickly arranged stray pieces of clothing and bits of hair.

Sokka climbed up the ladder, “Ah! There you guys are.”

“Hey! B-bro!” Katara forced a smile.

“Hey, s-sister of mine?!”

Toph covered her face with her palm and moaned loudly.

“Anyway,” Sokka said, “It’s karaoke time! Get your asses downstairs, let’s go!”

Sokka climbed back down the ladder. The two girls, left alone at the rooftop again, let out a sigh of relief as they stood up.

Toph pinched Katara’s jacket, “Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“How did the view look?” she pointed outwards, to the vivid lights of the urban area.

Yet Katara’s gaze was locked on Toph, and Toph alone. She bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

“Stunning.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, brother.”

Azula droopily held her red cup, shaking it from time to time but never drinking from it. She and Zuko had sat down on the patio. It was fairly late in the evening, and the party had settled down. The only loud noise came from Sokka and Aang’s karaoke duet, but that was to be expected.

Zuko took a sip from his cup, “It’s okay, Azula. There’s no need to apologize.”

“But I—"

“We were kids,” he leaned forward, “you shouldn’t blame yourself for what father did.”

She glanced at her sibling, a twinkle forming in her eye. Azula reclined on his shoulder, “Thank you.”

“If you ever need anything, the tea shop is always open.”

Azula gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

He smiled, “So. You and Ty Lee, huh? Tell me about it.”

* * *

_It was so easy to fall in love with Katara._

Toph walked around the room, feeling everything her hands could hold. Katara enjoyed observing her from the doorway. It was Toph’s first time in her room, and she already mentioned to her beforehand that she would memorize everything’s place by the end of the day.

She snatched the case of Katara’s old eyeglasses, and, upon dusting it off, immediately put the pair on.

“How do I look?”

“Perfect,” Katara hummed (she wasn’t lying). She then picked up a small package on her bed and teared it open near her rival’s ear.

Toph spoke playfully, “And what might this be?”

Katara dangled the black wires in front of her, “Look.”

“Uh.”

“Just kidding,” Katara cackled, “it’s a headphone splitter. For _us_.”

Toph gulped. _U-us._

The taller girl noticed her hesitation and frowned, “You don’t like it?”

“No! I love it—"

“Then let’s test it out,” Katara held Toph’s hand and perched her down on the center of the room. She sat opposite of her, their knees barely scraping one another’s.

Katara set up the headphone splitter, “Did you know that The 1975 have a cover of _What Makes You Beautiful_?”

“No. No I don’t,” Toph said, intrigued.

“You poor, uncultured soul.”

And so, they listened.

_Baby, you light up my world like nobody else_

_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed_

_When you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell_

_You don't know_

The pair closed their eyes as they let the music take over. A lonely piano gave way to slow, hefty synth beats and a drum that sounded identical to the snap of a finger. Katara swayed her head back and forth to the leisurely rhythm. And by the time the guitar appeared on the first chorus, Toph had already lost it.

Katara unlatched her vision and gaped at Toph. Her bobbing head, her tiny breaths, and her ajar mouth—they were all so _lovely_.

She leaned in.

Katara placed a hand on the other girl’s cheek, making her unlatch her eyes as well.

“W-what are you doing, sweetness?”

“Take two,” Katara whispered.

Toph exhaled, deeply. She moved her opposite hand forward, dragging it around Katara’s body until she found the cheek.

“Tell me when you’re close, okay?”

“Okay.”

She leaned in.

The music had completely engulfed their senses. They were sharing the same world, essentially, and they were content with keeping it that way.

“Katara…”

“I love you.”

_If only you saw what I can see_

_You'll understand why I want you so desperately_

_Well I'm looking at you and I can't believe_

_You don't know_

_You don't know you're beautiful_

They kissed. Tenderly. As if they were two lost puzzle pieces, destined to find each other. As if their individual lives were leading to this one moment. As if nothing else but _this_ , just _this_ , was ever important.

Those are the kind of lies you tell yourself as a teenager, anyway. But they were happy. And that’s what mattered.

* * *

“Does your _girlfriend_ know you eat that much?”

Toph didn’t reply to the grinning Zuko beside her. Instead, she continued chewing on her food.

“You’re no fun.”

Toph sighed, “She does, in fact, know.”

“So she _is_ your girlfriend!”

“What?! No! I—"

“You... what?”

“I,” her head dropped down, “walked right into that one.”

Zuko threw his arms up, “Knew it!”

“God, I hate you.”

“I appreciate you too,” he said, merrily eating a bite of his lunch. Zuko spoke again after swallowing, “I am _so_ telling everyone on movie night.”

Toph struck her spoon and fork on the table, “Don’t. You. Dare.”

“ _Fine_.”

Zuko stared at his childhood friend as she continued devouring her food. _She was… happy_. Toph scratched the back of her neck, her face lightly turning crimson.

“We’re actually planning to tell her dad and Sokka first.”

He smiled, “And thus, the great Toph had finally found love. It’s a good story.”

“Shut up,” Toph punched the side of Zuko’s arm, making him screech.

“Ow!”

At her worst, Toph Beifong was anything but calm. But she’s found friends and a lover to call _home_.

So maybe she wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I watched Avatar for the first time this year and it's already become my favorite show, like, ever. But for real though there needs to be more katoph fic out there.
> 
> I got the earphone splitter idea from the movie Begin Again! I also used the songs There She Goes (Sixpence None The Richer's cover) and That's What Makes You Beautiful (The 1975's cover).
> 
> Thanks again for the love comrades ^_^


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